Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler (Dr. Mabuse der Spieler) 1922, Part 1

A film about the dastardly doings of Norbert Jacques's title villian, directed by Fritz Lang. Rudolf Klein-Rogge stars in a role he later repeated in "The Testament of Dr. Mabuse" (aka "The Crimes of Dr. Mabuse) in 1933. This is actually the first part of a film that was released in two parts, something Lang has done a few times (The Indian Tomb, Siegfried). Unfortunately, I do not have part 2. I hope at some point someone who has a copy of Part 2 to be kind enough to upload it. Until then, I thought it fitting to upload what I have. NOTE: This is a vhs rip of a print that seems a little faded.

Run time102 minutes 16 secondsAudio/Visualsilent with music, black and white

Reviews

Dr Mabuse "der Spieler" epitomises the prevailing feeling during the Weimar Republic. A time where the wealthy still ruled after years of monarchal rule and the criminals in the underworld dominated the life on the streets. Along with memorable scenes, on this VHS rip is the Konrad Elfers composition, made in 1966, for the film which provides a haunting theme throughout the movie. This is a great movie to sit back and indulge in even if you aren't partial to silent films.

Despite the obvious shortcomings of the poor print (which, however, can be largely overcome by manipulating the contrast, etc.), Dr. Mabuse der Spieler remains a riveting and rather spine-chilling adventure into the realm of greed and decadence. A certain something even reminded me of Georg Grosz and his horrifying images of deparvaity among the rich and powerful.